Govt offers pre-poll sops...

THE STATE Cabinet on Tuesday offered many sops for different sections of the society and decided to exempt the poor man’s lantern from the trade tax. It also decided to bring down to half the rate of interest levied on delay in depositing the Mandi Tax.

A trade tax of 10 per cent was being levied on the lantern and the State Government was earning revenue of Rs 15.75 lakh under this head. No trade tax would be levied on the lantern. The State Cabinet also decided to do away with the policy of converting the Nazul Land into free hold plots.

A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the State Cabinet that Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav chaired at his Lal Bahadur Shastri Bhawan office here on Tuesday.

Briefing mediapersons, chief secretary Naveen Chandra Bajpai said that the Cabinet also decided to bring down the rate of interest levied on delay in payment of Mandi Tax in accordance with the announcement that Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had made on April 28. As per the decision, the rate of interest would now be 12 per cent. So far, an interest of 2 per cent per month (total 24 per cent) was being levied on such delay on payment of Mandi Tax.

About the policy of converting Nazul Land into free hold plots, the chief secretary said that under the existing policy, there was a provision to regularise the illegal possession of Nazul land of pre-January 1, 1992 period. As the Allahabad High Court had observed that the policy would encourage the illegal occupants and called the same an offence under the 447/448 of the IPC, the State Cabinet decided to do away with the policy.

The Cabinet also decided to extend the exemption stamp duty on the sale deeds, title deeds up to March 31 for the Kashmiri migrants. As per the decision, the properties bought from development authorities, UP Housing Development Board, NOIDA, Greater NOIDA and the UPSIDC would be exempted from stamp duty. This exemption would be available for the members of Kashmiri Migrants Welfare Association and the Kashmiri Migrants Coordination Committee, he added. The decision would benefit around 300 families of displaced Kashmiri migrants.

A Consumer Welfare Fund to help the NGOs working in the field of consumer protection would also be set up, he said. A committee to be headed by the principal secretary food and civil supplies would control the fund. As per the decision, the State Government would contribute 50 per cent amount for the fund, he added. As the Centre has already given a sum of Rs 50 lakh, the State Government would contribute the same amount to the fund. The designated special secretary of food and civil supplies department would be the member secretary of the committee while the representatives of finance secretary would be its vice- chairman.

The State Government also decided to extend by three years the age limit for people seeking appointment in the clerical cadre of the Disable Welfare Department, besides expanding the scope of MLA/MLC Local Area Development Funds in sanctioning grants for such people.

The decision was taken to provide an opportunity to people to stake claim to jobs in the department till 35 years of age, chief secretary N C Bajpai said.

He said the scope of the MLA/MLC Discretionary Funds had been extended, allowing legislators to grant Rs 2 lakh per year to NGOs and other organisations for purchase of audio-visual aids for physically and mentally challenged persons.

The State Cabinet decided to amend service rules meant to provide jobs to dependents of deceased government employees. Now, dependents of deceased government employees applying for jobs would have to state reasons for any delay in making request beyond 5-years.

The State Cabinet also decided to introduce a new system for colonies of refugees brought up by development authorities. A rebate of 20 per cent would be given if total sum was paid in four quarterly installments. So far this rebate was given only if total sum was paid in one go.